A Lark Ascending

Athbhliain faoi Mhaise Daoibh

Old wounds?

Interesting. To my ears, that's the weak point of Metropolis. The 'jazz-rock' bits. Listen to Love Dream Variations from 1976 and that has all gone! The odd thing is that it's those 'jazz-rock' moments on the early 70s Westbrook's and nearly all of Nucleus that I hear as 'stiff'. The same think happens on Keith Tippett's Centipede's 'Septober Energy' - most of it is very freewheeling but at two points the obligatory (for the early 70s) 'jazz-rock' kicks in. Far less interesting to my ears. I can never really warm to Bill Bruford's recent 'jazz' recordings for the same reason. All enjoyable enough, with their moments. But the drumming is still very 'rock'. I like it all much looser.

On the standards issue... I'm currently in the middle of a book made up of interviews of young-ish UK jazz players. A common theme is how at festivals and in London they see younger faces in the audience; but their bread and butter is often made up of touring jazz clubs in the country where they face a sea of middle-aged and older faces. Such places expect standards; mention of an original gets grimaces! And yet... When playing to a younger audience the standards have little meaning. Play a Radiohead or Bjork tune and then you get a point of contact. So the idea of two standards per album might well work for an established jazz fan but its no guarantee of connection with younger listeners; might even run the risk of labelling the music old fogeyish. I like hearing new takes on standards but only if the musicians really want to do it. The presence of a standard on a disc has zero influence on my listening to it. I've shelves of CDs with marvellous standard interpretations from a century of jazz. As a rule I'd prefer to hear original compositions on newer discs.

It's the usual different ears stuff. I have a hard time with Nucleus. Always sounds like a jazz group with a glued on rock section. I thought that at the time (didn't have any of their records but I saw them once), listened to none of it for 30 years, and then bought some of the reissues. It still sounded awkward! Whereas the Soft Machine still sound totally fresh to me in their Third to Sixth phase. I really like Ratledge's sound. I suspect alot of this is a case of 'you had to be there at the time!' My judgement of the Soft Machine is heavily clouded by how evocative their sound is of a formative time in my life. I think you have to treat 1 and 2 as almost by a different band - a song-based rock band. From Third onwards they became something else (and after Seven something else again which I don't care for). I prefer Greek Variations to 'Kaleidoscope of Rainbows'; once again its the heavy rock beat that takes away a little of the enjoyment for me. Good record though. Solid Gold Cadillac is unrepresentative of Westbrook. He loses the 'rock' thing completely after Citadel/Room (mid-70s). **************** One problem of perception here might be in that term 'funky'. If you are looking for 'funky' in UK jazz you are generally going to be disappointed. White Brits doing 'funky' can be pretty embarrassing. Its quite interesting. I heard this stuff before I heard American 'fusion'. I care little for most of that, largely because of its tendency to need to 'get down'. I suspect both types of music require a distinct realigning of ears to really warm to.

Leaving aside the one person's bad composer is another person's genius argument... I'm happy to see a lot of music put out and be left with the responsibility of deciding for myself what I do and do not value; far better than having a much sharper winnowing system that is as likely to exclude much that is excellent alongside much that is of doubtful value. We may wonder why certain music ever got to the recording studio, let alone release; but its more disturbing to think of the wonders that never made it in more frugal times.

I can't see it as a problem, unless you're afraid you'll miss something significant. I have a batch of musicians whose music I've come to know and so will try to follow up on their releases; other things I buy as a result of a concert or radio performance; sometimes I like the sound of something from a review in a magazine or something I read in a book. Despite spending way too much on recordings I'm sure I only scrape the surface of what is available. But I'm more than happy with the current deluge that keeps me awash in a warm bath of wonderful music. I'm sure it must be very hard for anyone approaching music from an academic standpoint, trying to make sense of it all. But, perhaps, in the same way that jazz itself has fragmented stylistically over the years, I suspect the jazz marketplace has also fragmented. The greater ease of recording and putting out CDs has enabled whole areas of the music that would have found it impossible to get a deal actually being able to promote itself. Much of my jazz buying is of British bands on tiny labels or self-produced recordings acquired as a result of concert going. I'm very grateful this music is getting released so I can enjoy it beyond a single concert appearance. The days when there were a limited number of recordings available (on a few big labels and a few smaller, specialist labels) might have made it easier to construct some sort of narrative of what seemed to be happening overall. But I'm more than happy with the massive current output that thrives on a more dispersed and often localised jazz world.

I'm not that up on organ records. I like this one: Would that fit the oft used definition on this board 'greasy'?

The similarity I mention is merely between 'Open to Love' and 'Facing You'. Maybe its just because the solo tunes on the latter are short!!!!

If you like 'Facing You' you'll definately enjoy 'Open to Love'.

I'm not sure if you know Paul Bley's music very much; if not try 'Open to Love' on ECM. It inhabits a very similar sound world to 'Facing You'. One of my favourite CDs. From there you have another pianist with a vast catalogue to explore. Currently one of my favourite musicians. This 2004 album makes an interesting contrast with current Jarrett: I'm not trying to say A is better than B here; merely that Bley shares similarities with Jarrett in some places; elsewhere he goes in a very different dirrection.

If we're including harpsichord then the De Falla Harsichord Concerto must be mentioned. One of my favourite neo-classical pieces alongside things like the Stavinsky Violin Concerto. Spikey, colourful, melodic. Thinking of De Falla, "Nights in the Gardens of Spain". Again, not a piano concerto by name or form but a piano and orchestra composition on the same sort of scale. And quite gorgeous. Recommended to anyone who was smitten by the Maria Schneider disc this year!

Seek 'Phantasm'...and then the rest of Frank Bridge.

Bev, didn't you know that jazz fans aren't supposed to know so much about SERIOUS classical music??? I 'know' precious little about it. But I enjoy it. Anyway, I'm a music fan, not a jazz fan! One of those smiley faces! Incidentally, Herbie Hancock recorded the dreamy slow movement from the Concerto in G on his Gershwin album. It's once of those classical pieces that tried to incorporate jazz elements; though this is more obvious in the outer movements.

Peter King Gianluigi Trovesi Elton Dean Jason Yarde Mike Osborne and a guy who is probably too new to be overlooked yet... Soweto Kinch

I prefer the equal balance of instruments in a symphony to the soloist and orchestra nature of concertos. However, there are plenty I enjoy. * The Three Bartok Concertos are my favourite. * Ravel's two Concertos are gorgeous. * The two Shostakovitch are nice too. Some interesting, but lesser known British concertos: * Two by Alan Rawsthorne * John Ireland's lovely concerto. * Frank Bridge's 'Phantasm' * EJ Moeran's Three Rhapsodies (not strictly concertos but...)

These are my two favourite solo Jarretts: I'd urge you to hear the 'American Quartet' from the 70s. A great single disc is: But these two boxes of the Impulse recordings are outstanding: And this one with the European Quartet is gorgeous:

Have a look here: http://www.shef.ac.uk/misc/rec/ps/efi/mwatts.html Very freeish as I remember. From the same stable as the SME.

I love 'Homecoming'. 'In the Moment' is more vague but I like it. I've never actually heard the first two. Keep seeing them an nearly buying them...

The Village Vanguard, Worksop. Monks had a regular gig here in the Middle Ages, before Henry VIII confiscated their cabaret card.

A wonderful programme that introduced me to so much jazz...why I first heard Kind of Blue (well, 'Blue in Green') there in 1977. I love its sheer range. And Peter Clayton was one of the great broadcasters. His Sunday night programme in the 70s was another great educator for me.

That's not right. No fighting in the taxi rank outside the Tut'n'Shive. Damn! Rumbled by someone who clearly has been to Worksop (and, more to the point, left again!).

I hope Naxos get round to completing the Piston and Harris Symphony cycles. Nice to see Frank Bridge getting a mention here. An outstanding composer, very little known outside of the world of British music obsesssives. Richard Hickox is doing a splendid cycle on Chandos at present (up to disc 5 so far). Full price but highly recommended. 'Oration' and 'Enter Spring' should be much better known than they are.

This picture was sketched the other day. Can't you see the excitement on Worksopians faces as rumours sweep across town that the new Buddy Bolden cylinder is about to go on sale? I'll leave you to imagine the joy that can be heard through each window as player pianos go into overdrive.

Worksop